Custom figurine from a photo: how 3D figurine printing works in Singapore

A few clear phone photos are all it takes to start. Most of the custom figurines we make through our 3D figurine printing service in Singapore begin exactly that way: a couple’s wedding shots, a picture of the family dog, a mascot lifted from a brand deck. These days you can run most of it yourself in the browser, approving the character artwork and a 3D preview before you pay a cent. Here is how those photos become a painted figurine you can hold, with the real numbers on price and timing.

What to send

Two or three photos per person is the sweet spot. A front view and a side view, taken in good, even light, give the studio the proportions it needs to work from. Add a picture of anything you want in the scene, like a guitar, a football kit or a graduation gown. For pets, one full-body shot and one clear face shot are enough.

You do not need a professional shoot. A sharp, well-lit phone photo beats a blurry studio portrait every time. If you are after a personal, couple or pet piece, the quickest route is to upload your pictures straight into the Mini Me Studio, where you approve the artwork and a 3D preview and order online from S$129. For the full picture, examples and the price menu, see our custom figurines page.

Your artwork and 3D preview, approved before we print

Your photos become stylised character artwork first: the exact blueprint your figurine is sculpted from. Expect a deliberately stylised result, with faces charmingly simplified rather than photo-real, which is precisely what makes the finished piece feel warm instead of uncanny. You refine it until it looks right, adjusting the hair, glasses, outfit, colours and pose.

Approve that artwork and a second gate follows: a 3D preview of the sculpted model on its base, which you spin and check from every angle. Nothing goes to the printer, and nothing is charged, until both are approved, which is why the finished piece rarely surprises anyone. You can judge the level of likeness for yourself in our real-life couple model replication.

One boundary worth knowing: if you want a precise, true-to-spec copy of a product, vehicle or building rather than a stylised character, that is scale model work and is quoted separately.

Printing in SLA resin

Approved sculpts are printed in SLA resin, which cures liquid resin layer by layer under a laser. That is what captures the fine features a figurine lives or dies by: spectacles, fingers, fur texture, clothing folds. Our FDM vs SLA vs SLS guide explains why resin wins for this kind of work.

Hand-painting

Every figurine is painted by hand. The print is primed, base colours are sprayed on, then brushwork picks out skin tones, hair, clothing and small details matched to your photos, before a protective seal goes over the top. Our painting and surface finishes guide walks through that stage in detail.

Sizes and pricing

Personal pieces have fixed, upfront pricing through the Mini Me Studio. A single hand-painted figurine starts from S$189 for up to 10cm, S$249 for up to 15cm and S$349 for up to 20cm, each including the artwork proof, the 3D preview, hand-painting and a display base. A second person or pet on the same base adds from S$99, a themed base from S$49 and an engraved nameplate S$15. Very detailed artwork, like realistic eyes or a busy multi-colour scene, adds a painting charge that is always shown before you pay. No quote to wait for; you see the total in the browser.

Teams are the exception. For 20 or more identical figurines we cast from a silicone master, from S$300 per mold, which brings the per-piece cost right down for mascots and milestone batches. Those are quoted per project.

Turnaround

A hand-painted figurine takes about two weeks from the moment you approve the 3D preview, plus however long you spend on the artwork and preview rounds, which is up to you. Tell us your date: proposals, weddings and farewells have deadlines, and rush options are available.

Who orders these

Wedding couples, for cake toppers and anniversary keepsakes. Pet owners, often as a birthday surprise or a memorial of a companion. Families marking a graduation or a retirement. And companies bringing a mascot or a milestone to life: for a batch of 20 or more we cast from a silicone master, the same approach behind the Shure 100th-anniversary figurines. Brand-character and batch work sits under our wider 3D figurines service.

Start with your photos

You are two or three pictures away from a finished piece. The fastest route is the Mini Me Studio: upload your photos, approve the artwork and the 3D preview, and order online from S$189. For bespoke briefs, brand characters and batch runs, browse the 3D figurines service or get in touch with your photos attached.